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Monday, January 30, 2017

I quit buying bananas when I was on the FMD eating plan. Bananas and grapes are not included in the long list of approved foods. I missed bananas at first but then forgot about them. Frank must not have forgotten about them because while I was in California a couple of weeks ago, he bought some. They were sitting on the counter when I got home. He had used them with his cereal and I made us smoothies and added them to the mixture but, as always, there were a couple that didn't get used before they got over-ripe.

I had 2 bananas which is the perfect amount for 6 muffins. This is a basic banana muffin. It is easily adaptable to whatever add in you like. I often add cinnamon. I like nuts but Frank is not big on nuts in his baked goods. Sometimes I throw in a handful of mini chocolate chips or dried cherries. The possibilities are endless. I think peanut butter might be delicious....perhaps next month....

Basic Banana Muffins

1 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1 t. baking powder

dash of salt

1 egg, beaten

1/2 c. milk

2 T. canola oil

1/2 t. vanilla

2 ripe bananas, mashed

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a med, bowl. Make a well in the center. Combine the egg, milk, oil, vanilla and bananas in another bowl. Pour egg mixture into the well and stir just until moistened. Divide batter between 6 muffin cups that have been treated with cooking spray. Bake in a preheated 400* oven for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center removes cleanly. Print Recipe

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Frank let me sleep in this morning while he finished cleaning up from our Chinese New Year celebration last night. We had a great time and dinner was very successful. I will be sharing some of the recipes with you but, as is often the case when I'm entertaining, pictures are scarce.

We spent the day today at the Home and Garden show. We have several companies coming out in the next couple of weeks to give us estimates on new windows for the sunroom. Before we left I put dinner in the crockpot. Tonight's dinner was scheduled to be Pot Roast but I now have a meeting to attend on Tuesday afternoon so we are now going to Aunt Irene's in the evening instead of at lunchtime. I decided to save the pot roast to take over there so I moved Wednesday's chicken dinner to tonight.

I seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper, filled the cavity with onion, carrot and celery and placed it in the slow-cooker with about 3 cups of chicken broth. Turned it on low and out the door we went.

When we got home this is what was waiting for us. This is not a recipe to use if you want nice crispy skin, but if you are going to discard the skin anyway, this is a perfect recipe to cook your whole chicken while you are gone or busy.

I sliced up some of the breast meat and served it along with salad, sauerkraut pierogi and corn for dinner tonight.

The broth was strained into a container and placed in the refrigerator. The rest of the meat was removed from the bones and reserved for lunch during the week. I have a few ideas about what to make with it and will be posting those recipes in the coming days.

Whole Chicken in a Crockpot

1 whole chicken

salt and pepper to taste

1 small onion

1 carrot

1 stalk celery

3-4 c. chicken broth

Wash chicken and season inside and out with salt and pepper. Quarter the onion, halve the carrot and celery and place inside the cavity of the chicken. Place the chicken in the crockpot and pour the chicken broth around it. Cook on low for 6-8 hrs. Remove chicken from crockpot to a cutting board. It will be very tender, falling off the bone and coming out in pieces. Discard the vegetables and skin. Strain the broth into a container. Remove the meat from the bones. You are now able to enjoy this chicken immediately or use it, along with the broth, for soups. stews and casseroles. Print Recipe

Friday, January 27, 2017

My things move very quickly around here! It seems like I just posted the weekly menu. I blinked and here it is Friday already.

Today also marks 1 year since my Mom went to join my Pops up in Heaven. My heart is heavy for this and also because today was the funeral for my sil's, second mother, Mrs. Rhine. Both Mrs. Rhine and Mom lived long, full, happy lives and I know they are with their husbands and much happier than their last years here but it still makes me melancholy. Of course, we have had no sunshine in Michigan for over a week now. These cloudy days really get me down. The sun is supposed to peek through on Tuesday but then disappear again. Sigh....

I also received very bad news today that my longtime partner and friend's daughter was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. She is only 27 years old. Please keep her and her family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.

Well, aren't you glad you joined me today? Okay I'm done being all Eeyore-ish on you. Let's see if I can find my sunshine behind all these clouds....

Or take some advice from my friend, Piglet, and find some puddles to jump into......

I know! Let's talk about tomorrow and let me wish you all a very Happy New Year. Yes, tomorrow is Chinese New Year and 2017 is the year of the Rooster. It implies light and wealth....both of which I look forward to enjoying LOL. I also look forward to enjoying our celebration tomorrow night. It is especially exciting this year because Melody is old enough to understand that this is a big celebration from her culture that we can share.

There is nothing on the calendar for Sunday. We may take a ride to the Home and Garden show, which is always fun. Monday I have a meeting at church. Tuesday is a pampering day. First for me as I get my hair cut and my nails done and then for Aunt Irene as we take her lunch and help her shower. The rest of the week is pretty quiet but I'm sure we'll find something to keep us occupied.

So I am sharing the Weekly Menu and will be back during the week to share recipes and photos. See you then.

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Sometimes Frank gets bored. He does not relax well, my husband. On those rare nights that we have nothing going on he will start pacing and asking me what I want to do. I often tell him that I want to do whatever it is that I am doing when he asks.......read, blog, watch tv....whatever. Sometimes I just say "nothing, I want to do nothing tonight". He paces around some more and, more often than not, starts experimenting at the bar.

This often works out to my advantage because I get to taste all his creations and he keeps tweaking them until they are exactly what I want. If this happens quickly we get a good drink out of the deal. Should it happen not so quickly, I start getting tipsy and think that things that aren't that good taste better than they really do. So we always try the last concoction again the following day to make sure that it really tastes as we remember it LOL.

The night that this drink was created, Frank hit the nail on the head the first try. He didn't believe me so he tweaked it a couple of times and then finally went back and made the original version for me to enjoy while I watched Fixer Upper.

Are you a Fixer Upper fan? They now have a store called Magnolia Home Furniture. I was lucky enough to go into a store called HOME while in my brother's small town of Santa Margarita, California that features their furniture. It is a great store and I fell in love with several items that were not only gorgeous but reasonably priced.

The next time you have a down day with your Valentine and are looking for a way spice up your evening make your Love one of these wonderful Valentini's. It was good enough to make me turn off Fixer Upper and join my Valentine in the hot tub.

Cinnamon Spice Valentini

a Frank Klik original

1 part cinnamon schnapps

1 part cherry vodka

1 part amaretto

red sugar sprinkles for rimming

Maraschino cherry for garnish

Rim a martini glass with red sugar sprinkles. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the schnapps, vodka and amaretto. Shake to combine and chill. Pour into rimmed glass and garnish with a cherry. Print Recipe

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Saturday is the onset of two weeks of celebration for the Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year is a celebration of Spring and there are traditional, symbolic foods served during the celebration. You can learn more about it at this website. 2017 is the year of the Rooster and you can read more about this at here.

Return readers of this blog know that nearly 10 years ago we took in an exchange student from China and she has been with us ever since. We used to take her out to a restaurant that had a huge Chinese New Year celebration each year but for some reason they stopped having their party. I started having a party here each year instead. My first party was in 2014 and was a great success. This was my menu that year. In 2015, Chinese New Year fell on Ash Wednesday so we waited until the following Saturday for our celebration. Last year, we combined our Chinese New Year celebration with our daughter, Nicole's birthday celebration and threw in a Valentine's celebration as well. What a great celebration that was!!

This year, Chinese New Year falls on a Saturday so it is perfect for celebrating. I invited all the kids but haven't heard back from Nicole or Anthony yet. Saturdays are tough for them as they are both in the restaurant business. So, while I am not sure yet who and how many are joining in the fun, I am planning the party.....first order of business? The Menu......

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

I was so angry yesterday. I awoke and decided to make my unstuffed cabbage rolls in the crockpot. You may have read my Weekly Menu where I told you I had pulled a bunch of leftover's from the freezer and was going to repurpose them into different meals this week. Yesterday was the day for using up my Beef and Cabbage Soup. I put it into my crockpot, grabbed a large can of tomatoes and some brown rice from the pantry and went back to the crockpot. There was only about a cup of rice left in the bag so I just dumped it right into the crockpot instead of measuring it out. It was filled with bugs!! Well not really bugs but that dust that is left behind from food moths. Aaaargh, the entire contents of the crockpot ended up going out to the chickens. Fortunately, I hadn't opened the tomatoes yet.

I wasn't only upset about the waste of food but also because I was looking forward to seeing how the recipe worked using this soup as a base. Ah well, c'est la vie. Sunday night's Ragu Bolognese turned out beautifully using leftover roasted kielbasa and meatloaf.

It was thick and hearty and delicious. I simply sauteed some onion and garlic in olive oil. When tender, I deglazed the pan with a Chianti wine I was serving with dinner. I added the chopped kielbasa and the crumbled meatloaf to the mixture with a little salt and pepper. Not too much because the meat was already seasoned once. I add the tomatoes and some tomato paste, brought it all to a boil, reduced the heat and let it simmer, covered, stirring occasionally until it was nice and thick and rich and we couldn't stand smelling it any longer without eating!

You can easily make this bolognese without using leftovers simply substitute a 1/2 pound each of ground pork and ground beef and cook it up with the onions and garlic, draining grease if necessary.

I made up some cheese toasts to serve along with it and preceded it with a salad. It was a wonderful dinner an used up two of my leftovers that had been taking up room in my freezer.

As for last night's dinner? I came home from my meeting and here is what I found.....

Life is good.......I love this guy!!

Oven Baked BBQ Pork Chops, Steamed Rice and Glazed Carrots, YUM.

Ragu Bolognese using leftovers

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T. olive oil

1/2 c. red wine (I used Chianti)

1/2 lb cooked sausage, diced (I used kielbasa)

1/2 lb cooked beef, crumbled or diced (I used leftover meatloaf)

1 (1 lb 12 oz) can of good Italian tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over med high heat. Add the onion and garlic, cook and stir until translucent and fragrant. Add the wine and cook until evaporated by half. Add the meat and tomatoes, bring to a boil. Stir and reduce heat to a simmer, cover and let simmer for two or three hours until thick and rich. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed before serving. Print Recipe

Monday, January 23, 2017

One of the guys that I used to work with in the police department, Chad Richardson, contacted me and asked if I would review a novel that he had written. Chad said that it had long been a dream of his to write novels and he had just published his first, A Fragile Path.

I was happy to do so and he sent me a free download for this purpose. Chad and I, like many of my friends from work, keep in touch through social media. He is now living down south with his wife, who is the daughter of another one of our officers, and their six children.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I opened this book. Chad and I were friends, we worked together, we attended each other's weddings, we would grab lunch together sometimes and when I was in need he had my back. But we were not really, buds.....we didn't hang out together or even with the same group of people. We were each too busy with our own lives, I guess. I was glad that he thought of me and gave me the opportunity to read his novel but didn't expect to like it quite as much as I did.

It was hard for me, when I first started reading, because I kept flashing back to my friend, Chad, and shaking my head as I tried to reconcile the words with the man. After the first few pages, the prologue really (which I loved) my mind shifted gears and I was no longer reading a book written by a friend but a novel in which I was engrossed.

The author, did an amazing job with character development. I felt as if I had been plopped in the middle of this small town and was getting to know each one of it's residents personally. There were those I loved, those I was ambivalent about, those I disliked and those I hated. This was a novel about people, community, friendship, family and human nature. There was no plot but rather just a gentle easy read that filled my flight to California with laughter and tears.

I was a little flummoxed when the book ended. There were some character's stories that I felt were left unfinished. Perhaps the author is planning a sequel to this novel? I hope that is the case.

I recommend this book and would, even had I not ever worked with the author. Chad Richardson has moved in my mind as a guy I used to work with to an author that I read. I look forward to his next novel.

Sunday, January 22, 2017

It is a singing in the choir, sharing breakfast with friends, stopping at the store, simmering sauce kinda Sunday.

We are just kicking back and relaxing today. No place to go, nothing to do. I love these kind of days and they happen far too seldom around here. I especially needed this today to recoup from our wonderful weekend.

Friday night we met up with our dive friends at the pool to make sure all our equipment was ready for next month's dive trip. Afterwards we went to a local restaurant for drinks and snacks. It was a late night for me and I slept in on Saturday awakening late and having to rush to get ready for a baby shower that I was attending.

The shower was very nice but the hour drive there in the dense fog was very nerve wracking. The fog had lifted slightly on my way home. After a very short interlude at home, we headed out to meet our choir friends for dinner downtown before a showing of The Phantom of the Opera. This was my 4th time for this show. It has changed some from my first 3 viewings but it is still exciting and spectacular. It was, however, another very late night and we had to get up early to sing at Mass this morning.

So this afternoon, I am just relaxing and catching up on my blogging. I went into the freezer and removed several packages of leftovers that need to be used so I am basing my Weekly Menu on those things that are now in my refrigerator. I pulled out some kielbasa, ham, meatloaf, turkey pot pie and beef and cabbage soup. I'm going to attempt to repurpose all of this into something new each night this week.

I stopped on the way home from church to pick up some good canned Italian tomatoes and started my "leftover makeover" week with a Ragu Bolognese, using some of the kielbasa and all of the remaining meatloaf. It is simmering away as I write this post and it is starting to smell mighty good in this house.

On Monday, Frank has to go downtown to the VA hospital where he is finally going to get his hearing aids. I don't know who is more excited about this but I think it might be me....no more repeating myself over and over again....YAY. I have two meetings to attend at church, one at 4 and the next at 6:30. I am going to do a crockpot unstuffed cabbage roll recipe in the crockpot using the leftover beef and cabbage soup.

Tuesday we will be taking lunch to Aunt Irene and spending the afternoon with her as she showers. She fell in the bathtub a few months ago and is nervous to shower when she is home alone. I think I am going to use the leftover pot pie to make a soup for this night.

Wednesday I am using the leftover ham in a scalloped potato and ham casserole. Thursday, the remaining kielbasa will be scrambled with eggs for our lunch and that should take care of all the leftovers. Frank and I will go out for dinner before choir.

Friday is going to be spent prepping for our Chinese New Year party on Saturday so an easy dinner of poached fish is on the schedule.

Hope that you all have a very blessed week and a relaxing, enjoyable Sunday. Our Priest this morning told us to go home and "waste the day, spending time with God and those that He has put into your life"...sounds like wonderful advice to me.

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Hello friends and welcome to Soup Saturday Swappers. I love making soups and stews. In the winter, I make them for their warm comfort. In the autumn, I look forward to using the fall harvest. In the spring, I can't wait to use all the fresh flavors popping up with the sunshine and warmer temps and in the summer you can use a slow cooker to keep from warming up the house or enjoy a refreshing, chilled soup.

I invited some of my friends to join me on the third Saturday of each month to share their favorite soup and/or stew recipes based on a theme chosen by one of the members. So far, over 20 of my blogging friends have joined in the fun. Our friend, Colleen of Faith, Hope, Love & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice, created this image for us to use in our posts. There is no requirement to post each month or to host if you don't want. It is just a great place to get together and swap our favorite old and new recipes. We would love to have you join us if you are a blogger that is interested in posting with us. You can let me know in the comments below or email me at wendyklik1517@gmail.com.

I chose to start this group's posts today because we celebrate National Soup Day on January 21st each year. When January 21st was a Saturday, I decided that this would be the perfect day each month to get together. The 3rd Saturday of the month is also when I join another group called The French Winophiles so occasionally I will be posting one post to cover both groups which is perfectly okay as well since this is a relaxed and accommodating atmosphere.

I chose the theme of Healthy Soup Options since I know many of us start off the year very conscious of our eating and physical activity.

I decided to share this lovely, elegant Fennel Bisque topped with Crab Meat and Fennel Fronds. It is creamy, silky and luxurious yet it contains not one ounce of cream or butter and only 1 tablespoon of heart healthy olive oil divided between 8 servings. I found this recipe at Food&Wine and knew it was perfect for today's challenge.

It is quick and easy to make, taking only as long as necessary for the vegetables to be tender. A quick puree in a blender or with an immersion blender and it is ready to be plated. Topped with tender, low fat but high protein crab meat and some fennel fronds, it makes a gorgeous presentation and a great start to your next dinner party.

Fennel Crab Bisque

adapted from Food & Wine

1 T. olive oil

2 fennel bulbs, halved, cored and chopped with fronds reserved

1 med. sweet onion, coarsely chopped

1 (32 oz) box chicken broth

1 medium, Yukon Gold potato, scrubbed and cut into 1/2" dice

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 lb lump crabmeat, picked over

Heat oil in large sauce pan. Add the onions and fennel bulb. Cook and stir over moderate heat until crisp tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potato. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until vegetables are very tender.

Using a heavy duty blender or immersion blender, puree the mixture until smooth and silky. Taste for flavor and season with salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and top with a mound of crab. Sprinkle with fennel fronds and serve.

I have been a part of this group now for a while and I wish I could tell you that now I know a lot about French wines but I would be lying. The only thing I know now that I didn't know before is that there are TONS of French wines from all regions of France and each region is well known for either the grape variety or the method of wine making or both. Oh....and I learned that I LOVE French wines.

Living in Michigan, it is not always easy to find the wines from the regions we are exploring. Such was the case for this month's region, Savoie. I wasn't having any luck locating wine from this region. I do have a wine store in Detroit that carries a lot of wines from all over the world but it is an hour drive and I wasn't sure I was going to make it down there, especially since I had a trip planned to California to visit my brother.

I mentioned this on the group page and several of the other bloggers recommended that while I was in the San Francisco area, I might want to try K&L wines. As luck would have it, the residential units in which I was staying was only a few blocks from the K& L store. I went in and was helped by John who was very knowledgeable and set me up with not one, but two bottles from the Savoie Region.

The first bottle he led me to was the white Apremont. This is what K&L have to say in their writ up about this wine.

"2015 Veronique Anne Perret Vin de Savoie Apremont : The village of Apremont once sat in the shadow of a great mountain. In 1248 that mountain collapsed, destroying, everything in its path. Fortunately, the mountain itself was made of limestone which is some of the best geological material for growing grapes and the site is littered with limestone scree (broken rock fragments). The grape of choice for the region is Jacquère and some of the best comes from this village. Like most wines from Savoie, the Perret has hallmark aromas of citrus and lemongrass with a touch of peach as well."

This bottle was attractively priced at $12.99 which made it possible for me to also purchase a bottle of the red from the Savoie region.

John explained that red wines were harder to come by in the Savoie region but that they were not unheard of. This bottle of 2014 Domaine Fabien Trosset Mondeuse Avalanche, Vin de Savoie-Arbin was priced at $19.99 a bottle. John told me that it would be a lighter wine for a red, more on the order of a pinot noir but with more spice. I picked up a bottle of this as well.

I was leaving the San Francisco area the following day and heading south to my brother's home near San Luis Obispo. I decided I would make a dinner for him and his family who all live nearby and we could do a wine tasting at that time.

While driving down I was trying to think of a meal that I could serve that would please everyone. One of my nieces and a great niece are both gluten intolerant. My other nephew and his wife work very hard at eating cleanly and healthily. My sister in law loves chicken dishes but is not crazy about seafood. My brother loves seafood and beef. I wanted to serve both wines with this dinner but since there would be 17 of us having dinner I didn't think a sit down meal with different courses for each wine was feasible.

I finally decided to make 3 different stir fry meals and serve them buffet style. I made Celery Steak, Chicken Pad Thai and Garlic Shrimp with Green Beans. I used coconut aminos and rice noodles for the gluten intolerants. Brown Rice and lots of veggies for the health conscious. Different meats for different tastes and put out both wines allowing people to take what they wanted.

When I was setting out the food, my brother exclaimed "My gosh, Wendy, perhaps I should call some more people from the neighborhood and invite them over to eat some of this". I just smiled and kept putting out food. When we were all done eating there was enough left for one person to have a light lunch. The food was a huge hit.

Some of us drank white, some of us drank red. I drank both. White with my dinner and red after dinner as we sat and visited. I wish I could talk to you about the pairings but, to be honest, I didn't pay much attention. I liked the wines, especially the red, and I didn't notice anything adverse as I was eating and drinking so I am going to say it was a successful pairing.

I really enjoyed K&L wine shop. I had a wonderful time with my California family and my 2 nieces and great niece that I brought with me for this visit. I had fun taking over my sister in law's kitchen, not only for this meal but for the one I made the following night after we visited the coast and stopped by the fishmonger on the pier in Avilla Beach.

I am home now and will be starting my hunt for wines from the Corsica region which is where we are exploring in February. Make sure you stop back and see what I have learned or learn from the others who are much more knowledgeable than I. In fact, why don't you start right now and learn all about the wines of Savoie. That's where I'm headed.......

Friday, January 20, 2017

We are celebrating the one year anniversary of Fish Friday Foodies. It was last January that I decided to try to add more fish and seafood to my diet and asked my fellow bloggers if they would be interested in joining me once each month posting a fish or seafood recipe. They not only agreed to join me but they also volunteered to come up with themes and take turns hosting each month. I just love my blogging community.

Are you a food blogger who would like to join our group and post with us on the third Friday of each month? We would love to have you. Simply let me know in the comments below or by emailing me at wendyklik1517@gmail.com and I will add you to the group.

This month's theme was chosen by my friend and mentor, Stacy of Food Lust People Love. Stacy challenged us to:

"Bake us something cozy this month including your favorite seafood. Shortcrust, puff pastry, deep dish with mashed potatoes on top, hand pies, free form galettes or ornate decorated crusts, quiche, even vols-au-vent with seafood filling would qualify. Use one type of seafood or mix it up."

I have been wanting to make a Lobster Pot Pie for a long time now. The idea of tender chunks of lobster in a creamy sauce with veggies and a crust sounds so appealing to me. Unfortunately, my husband does not love seafood as much as I. He will eat fish but prefers it fried. He will eat small amounts of shrimp, scallops, crab and lobster but isn't crazy about it. The way I have found to work around this difference of tastes is to serve seafood as a first course where the portions are smaller.

I decided to make these individual lobster pot pies for the first course of our family Christmas dinner where it was just us and our children. Each year we try to have one dinner over the holidays where it is just our immediate family. It is not always an easy task getting all of our kids together at one time. This year we were missing our eldest son, Chuck, who was on leave from the Navy for Thanksgiving this year but not Christmas.

I used premade, frozen puff pastry shells for the crusts of each pot pie. This small shell filled with the creamy, savory filling was just the perfect size for a starter.

I boiled up 3 lobster tails, removed them from their shells and chopped them into bite size pieces before incorporating them into the sauce that started with a base of fennel and onions. The sauce is a a roux mixed with clam juice and heavy cream. Sweet peas are folded in at the end along with the lobster pieces.

I placed the bottom of the pastry into a small dish, smothered it with the lobster filling and topped it with the pastry disc. It was a lovely presentation and a delicious start to our meal.

Individual Lobster Pot Pies

1 med sweet onion, chopped

1 fennel bulb, chopped

1 stick butter

1/2 c. flour

3 (8 oz) bottles, clam juice

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 c. heavy cream

3 lobster tails, cooked and chopped into bite size pieces

1 (12 oz) pkg frozen peas, thawed

1 pkg frozen puff pastry shells, cooked per package directions

Melt the butter in a large skillet over med high heat. Add the onion and fennel, cook and stir until tender and translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the flour, cook on low, stirring until nutty smelling and light brown, 3-4 minutes. Slowly add the clam juice, stirring constantly until incorporated and starting to thicken. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the heavy cream until smooth and silky. Stir in the peas and lobster, cook gently until heated through.

Place the bottom of each pastry into individual shallow bowls, spoon the lobster mixture over each bottom and top with a pastry round. Print Recipe

Today, for Crazy Ingredient Challenge we were assigned to make a new and original recipe using Barley and Salsa. I was happy when the ingredients were chosen, knowing that I would be able to make a wonderful dish using these ingredients.

I still had some jars of salsa that I had canned in my cupboard so I pulled that out to use in this dish. Since January is National Soup Month, I decided to stay with that theme and make a Southwestern Chicken Barley Soup. This was a very easy dish since I used the slow cooker to do all the work for me.

It turned out amazing. The soup was hearty and filling. I paired it with Cheese Quesadillas on a take of a Southwest soup and sandwich theme. The salsa seasoned the soup perfectly and only required a small amount of chili powder. Of course, Frank is spice sensitive so I go easy on the heat. Feel free to add the amount that will give you your desired amount of heat.

Place the chicken, barley, onion, salsa, corn, black beans, chicken stock and chili powder in the crock of a slow cooker. Stir to combine and cook on high for 4-6 hrs. Stir, taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Print Recipe

Thursday, January 19, 2017

Happy Birthday Everybody!!! Our friend Sue, of Palatable Pastime, is hosting our Bundt Bakers Group today. Sue invited us to share a Birthday Bundt today because "Everybody has a Birthday during the year, so let's celebrate Everybody's Birthday.

#BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient. You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about #BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

I do have family and friends that celebrate birthdays in January but none for whom I bake a cake. The last birthday cake I made was served on Christmas Day when we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus whose birth we were celebrating.

I made a wonderful Eggnog Bundt with a Buttered Rum Sauce and we sang Happy Birthday to our Lord as is our tradition that has been passed down from when I was a child. My mother would always make a sheet cake with a bed of coconut holding a baby Jesus. My Mom would have birthday candles on the cake and the youngest child would have the honor of blowing out the candles. I don't make the same cake each year and I don't have candles but we do sing and recognize why it is that we are all gathered at the table.

This cake came about because I had Frank on a mission to make me a Hot Buttered Rum for this post. He was doing a google search and evidently liked this recipe because he printed it out and left it on the kitchen counter for me. The recipe was for a pound cake that I knew from experience would bake up very well in a bundt pan.

Frank loves eggnog, so I am sure that is what caught his attention with this cake. I love buttered rum so I was game. I also liked that I could make this cake on Christmas Eve before we left the house for our visit at Frank's brother's house.

I knew that I could make the buttered rum sauce early in the day and just reheat it right before serving.

I served it up simply with a dollop of whipped cream on the side. This cake was a huge hit with everyone but was especially loved by my sister, Dawn, who said, no less than 3 times, "you have to blog this cake, this is the best cake ever". Every cook and baker loves to have their creations praised so this was a wonderful Christmas gift for me.

This cake is filled with Holiday flavors, however I think it would be good for any of the cold winter months. Why not serve it up to your Valentine or to your next loved one that celebrates a winter birthday. They will be thrilled.

Eggnog Bundt with Hot Buttered Rum Sauce

slightly adapted from McCormick Spice Company

2 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

pinch of salt

3/4 c. milk

1/4 c. half and half

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. freshly ground nutmeg

1/4 t. ground cloves

1 t. vanilla paste

1 stick butter, room temperature

1 1/4 c. sugar

3 eggs

Rum Sauce:

1 c. brown sugar, packed

1 stick butter

1/2 c. heavy cream

1/4 c. dark rum

1 T. vanilla extract

Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, set aside. Mix milk, half and half, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a 2 c. measuring cup, set aside.

In the large bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each. Gradually add in the flour mixture, alternating with the milk mixture, on low speed until just combined. Pour into a bundt pan that has been liberally treated with baking spray.

Bake in a preheated 350* oven for 50-60 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center removes cleanly. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Rum Sauce: Combine brown sugar, butter and cream in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, over med high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in rum and vanilla and return to a boil.

You can pour the rum sauce over the entire cake or (as I did) slice the cake and drizzle each piece with a generous amount of sauce and a dollop of whipped cream. Print Recipe

Don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month: